New York World's Fair Revisited

I loves me some World's Fair! I've got four images from October 1964 for you today.

Here's a nice lady standing on the walkway that went over the Long Island Expressway and served as a bridge between the Transportation Area and the rest of the fair. You can see part of the Travel and Transportation pavilion (including the green, cratered moon), the Uniroyal Tire ferris wheel, and waaaaaay back there are some of the pylons from the gigantic Ford Pavilion.


That moon dome contained a Cinerama movie, shown on a 360 degree screen. Titled "To the Moon & Beyond", the film "explores man's environment from the nucleus of the atom to outer space." Sounds like something Walt Disney would have approved of. I wish I could see this movie in some form today! A cool six bits would get an adult in. Once again, the Ford Pavilion makes a cameo appearance.


I like sky rides in general, and would have certainly loved the Fair's "Swiss Sky Ride". The rectangular cabs resemble the ones that would eventually replace the round buckets at Disneyland, and they would take you as high as 113 feet up. That's pretty high! Your trip (one way) would take about four minutes, and passed over the International Area, but provided great views of the whole fair.


Want to know what it felt like to be aboard the Swiss Sky Ride? This is the best I can do! Please don't bother grandma, she appears to be in mourning. The building that we just passed over (round, with the crinkle-folded roof) is the Indonesian Pavilion which "contains exhibits on the nation's history, resources and social programs. Various aspects of life on Java, Sumatra and Bali are shown, and there are demonstrations of puppetry and handicrafts." Did somebody say puppets?!?!